Toothbrush



May 31, 1932. E JOHNSON 1,861,347

TOOTHBRUSH Filed March 4, 1931 INVENTOR mmd@ H15 ATTORNEYS Patented May31, 1932 PATENT OFFICE ERNEST G. JOHNSON, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOISTOOTHBBUBH Application nled Iaroh 4, 1931.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in tooth brushes,and has for' its princi al object the rovision of an improveconstruction o this character whlch o will be highly eicient in use andeconomical in manufacture.

The salient object of this invention is to provide a tooth brush whichwill effectively massage the gums during the tooth brushing looperation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brush in which aplurality of resilient caps are provided, each of these caps having arecess therein so that when the caps are rubbed over the teeth and gumspartial vacuums will be produced by the depressions in the resilientcaps thereby stimulating and massaging the Other objects will appearhereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel com- Showing the preferred form ofconstruction bination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings,

and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred form of construction of theinvention; I

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view on an enscale, on the line 2-2 in Fig.1; and

53 laiged ig. 3 is a sectional detail view on the line 3 3 m Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of theinvention is depict- 3 -ed my improved brush is generically indicated at10 and includes a handle 11 of conventional design with which isintegral a head 12. Formed in the head 12, on one s1de thereof, is arecess 13 around the upper side of whichex- 4 tends a flange or head 14.

Serial No. 520,110.

tion by a retaining plate 18 which is held in position by the head 14,the plate 18 being preferably, though not necessarily, of alight met-a1such, for example, as aluminum and having openings 19 therein throughwhich the cups 16 may be extended.

In use the resilient cups will be compressed by the pressure exertedthereonduring the operationv of brushing the teeth and as the cups arecom ressed a ainst the gums partial vacuums will e forme in the-recessesor cavities 17 which will cause a pulling action to be exerted on thegum tissues, thereby effectively massaging and stimulating the gums andromoting the circulation therein and healthulness thereof, withoutinjuring the gums or causing pain, while, manifestly, the cups willpermit a dentrilice to be disposed thereon so that the teeth may bebrushed and cleaned.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into ei'ect, this is capable ofvariation and modification, without de arting from the spirit of theinvention. I, t erefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire" to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

A tooth brush comprising a handle, a head havin a recess therein, a headextending aroun said recess, a base in the recess, a luralit ofresilient cup elements mounte in said ase, each of said cup elementshaving a cavity therein, and a retalning plate disposed over said baseand held thereon by said bead, said late having openings therein throughwhicli) said cup elements are extended.

In testimony whereof I aliix my si ERNEST G. J OH ature. SON.

